In Shock-pre menopause

[KL50]

I originally posted this here:
https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/t...485-am-pregnant-typical-after-first-baby.html

After a thyroid doctor and gyno visit later, I received a call today that the blood work indicates I am pre menopausal.
I don't know what to feel or think right now. I am 33. I am scared.
I don't have much else to go on other than the blood work, and the OBGYN is setting up an appt with an reproductive endocrinologist right away. She says it is not impossible to conceive but until further tests etc.....
I feel like the stars have just been stolen out of my sky.
Has anyone else experienced something similar?

 

[Jessie1993]

I havent but im sorry. I hope it all works out.

 

[Emmyjean]

I haven't, but big hugs to you.

I don't know all the details and certainly don't have any kind of medical knowledge or opinion on this, but I'd say not to get despondent before you get the full workup and talk to the expert. I know it's impossible to control your emotional reaction to news like that, but it ain't over 'till it's over and you shouldn't lose hope just yet!

I wish you all the luck in the world!

 

[AuntieKate]

Sorry to hear about your labs KL! It's good that you've got some answers and will be seeing a specialist soon! Maybe you'll get some more answers!

I'm just about 30. After my miscarriage, I had crazy cycles. I had a couple 50-60 days long; was driving myself nuts peeing on sticks all the time, thinking I was pregnant. Then I started to worry that I wasn't ovulating. So I saw my MD who was wonderful and did a full work up. She says I wasn't ovulating but everything looked good. Since then, I've started to temp and I feel sooo much better. I was pretty depressed at the time (I would have been due around that time) and I know that impacted my body. Now my cycles are much better < 35 days and I know when I ovulate. The temping puts my mind at ease.

Definitely a different case, but I didn't want to read and run. Best of luck!

 

[Anya88]

Hello. I'm sorry for your anxiety. I can only imagine how you feel. I am in no way an obgyn or an md, but I'm pretty sure this just means your body is preparing for menopause and that you still probably have several good fertile years left. Now this may be rather early considering your only 33, but don't think you can't conceive bc of this. It means you can't conceive as long as you may have thought you would. I am sincerely sorry if this information is incorrect, but I'm pretty sure (concurred by my np friend) that you still have a chance....just not a million. I wish you the best of luck. Plz keep me posted bc I am quite curious myself.

Side note: do you have any symptoms?

 

[JleStar]

I'm Sorry to hear that. IT must be scary and disappointing to be told your are going through this at such a young age....BUT don't get too down. I believe you can still do something about it and STILL conceive!

If I were you I would look into alternative sources of info on how to slow down menopause.

Maybe take a look at your diet and environment and see if there are any changes you can make that can help you in addition to seeing a Dr.

The important question to ask is WHY? why is it happening so soon. Most Dr's don't ask the why, they just start trying to fix the problem or put a band aid on it...I believe that if you get to the WHY then maybe you can do something about it to slow it down.

Good luck to you!

 

[jennpeary]

Hang in there! I know that is so difficult to hear right now because all you can think about is peri-menopausal. Several months ago I was told that I was in your shoes. I was beyond upset (I even broke down in tears at yoga class!). Since then we've had more testing and the doctor believes I can still get a BFP we just have to work a little differently and need some help. We will begin Clomid next cycle and the doc is only going to let us try two cycles before stepping it up to the next level.

My point is... its not out of the question yet. DH and I really believe in the power of a positive attitude and we are trying to live by that motto. If I get too wrapped up in things that could go wrong, I know I will see this more as a chore than what beauty is in this. KWIM? Try to stay positive and know that you are not alone!!

 

[slg76]

Hi there. I also have premature menopause, or more specifically premature ovarian failure (POF). I am 38. My issue was caused from chemotherapy but it can happen naturally as well. Don't give up!! My numbers are off the charts bad but my fertility is actually getting better. I conceived in Aug. although it ended in miscarriage. I have confirmed ovulation for my past two cycles which is great news for me.

I highly recommend acupuncture to regulate cycles and promote ovulation.

My favorite book on the subject: The Tao of Fertility by Daoshing Ni. This is a look at fertility from a Chinese Medicine perspective.

A common book to look at is: Inconceivable by Julia Indichova

I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. My doctor says that this happens to 1-10% of women naturally. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

 

[slg76]

I just read your initial post. My periods have stopped completely twice in my life. Once for two years during/after treatment for cancer. And once for three months after a miscarriage. Both times I did acupuncture and had a cycle within a month of starting the appointments. Sounds like maybe your body just got out of whack and you need a reset.

 

[cookette]

Hang in there, luv! I'm 29, I got the same news in Dec confirmed by blood work, immediately bumped up from WTT to TTC, and am now 4 weeks pregnant. There is hope, always hope, dont panic yet!

 

[KL50]

Thank you for your comments.. I am a little better today. I realize it could be worse and I try to be grateful and keep that in perspective but as anybody knows, it is hard not to still be upset over something like this.
But going to try to adopt the positive thinking.. until talking to the reproductive endocrinologist and go from there.. all I can do.
-AuntieKate-yes, I started to temp too (before I knew all this was going on) so maybe that will have some significance when I go.
-Anya88-I hope you are right, I think that is the case. My FSH level is super high, that is what scares me. And not knowing exactly what all of that means precisely, I need to try to relax until I do. And yes, I do have symptoms. When my period stopped after November, I thought I might be pregnant, I felt like I was but more recently I would get hot flashes, night sweats, headaches are more frequent. Since I have been to the thyroid doctor last month and have swapped over to hypothyroidism, I thought these symptoms were related to that. Weird, huh? And weight gain, I would say maybe 10 pounds in the last 6 months.
Also, I was taking ovulation tests occasionally and the thing was they were all positive, now.. come to find out, when you are pre menopause the LH levels are high, like your body is trying to ovulate. So now, it makes sense why those tests came back positive (even though I may not have been actually ovulating).
-JleStar yes I did ask her this and she said it could be a gene that you have (born with) that you don't know is this until it happens, I forget what she called it.
I am definitely going to look further into the WHY with the RE doctor.
-jennpeary-good luck to you as well! yes the positive approach is the way to go, just hard at first.
-slg76-your post is inspiring as well! It makes me happy to see you have come to normal cycles. it is the little steps that get you there! I am very interested in trying acupuncture, so that will definitely be an option for me. and thank you for the book recommendations, I will definitely check those out!
-cookette-Yay! makes me happy to read your post too.

 

[slg76]

I also have had some menopause symptoms and also am hypothyroid. To give you an idea of where I'm coming from, my AMH is undetectable and my FSH is 100! Yet, I conceived recently and I'm sure I will again and this time with a healthy pregnancy. Good for you for getting all the information and having a good attitude about it!

 

[KL50]

slg76-we have a lot in common Yes my FSH is 99! I am definitely crawling out of my dark cloud from yesterday and seeing light!!!

 

[slg76]

I totally get it. I cried for two days after getting my lab results back (about 3 months ago). Now I'm trying to focus on that I've now had two complete cycles in a row with ovulation. That is a huge step in the right direction for me!

 

[KL50]

oh yeah! That is huge! Originally the doctor said she can MAKE me have a cycle. But does that mean I am ovulating every time... can't you have one without the other in some cases? period no ovulation but can't have a ovulation and no period? Sigh, I feel like I need a refresher course in biology!

 

[slg76]

don't feel bad. I'm a scientist and I still had a lot to learn when my body went wacko. You can take drugs to jump start a cycle. That does not mean that you will ovulate. you may need drugs for that too. Likely you would take clomid to make you mature several follicles at once. Then you take Ovidrel to make you ovulate. I did this for three cycles with no luck and then got pregnant the following, natural cycle. Unfortunately I miscarried.

I was having periods very regularly for a while so I assumed I was ovulating. Wrong. You can have cycles with no ovulation. Your body basically goes through all the same hormonal swings that cause ovulation but your body never releases an egg. It's called an anovulatory cycle or anovulatory bleeding. You cannot however ovulate without having a period. Once you ovulate the process is set in motion to build up a lining and shed it.

You will figure all this out. It's a lot to take in and learn!

 

[jennpeary]

oh yeah! That is huge! Originally the doctor said she can MAKE me have a cycle. But does that mean I am ovulating every time... can't you have one without the other in some cases? period no ovulation but can't have a ovulation and no period? Sigh, I feel like I need a refresher course in biology!

I can tell you that it is possible to ovulate without a period. I didn't see AF for at least 6 months. I went to the doctor and he said to give it two weeks and come back. If I hadn't seen AF, he would set up a meeting with her. I ended up going back 6 weeks later to find out I was 6 weeks pregnant (with my first). Now, this was 10 years ago, but it is still possible.

 

[slg76]

true, if you conceive then you don't get a period after ovulation. Otherwise you do. Awesome that you caught that first ovulation in such a long time

 

[MenopauseMoxi]

Dear KL50

I came across your posts through a feed I’ve read your posts and see you suffer with trying to get pregnant and what your “conventional” doctors are telling you. I’m surprised you’re not banging your head against the wall or punching doctors.

I’m going to tell you something no one has told you, and you may do with it what you will but this is the answer you’re looking for if you want to get well and never deal with menstrual issues again. I’m not selling anything and you’re more than welcome to email me personally and ask me more detailed questions if you prefer. I recommend you look up my background so you know that I know of what I speak.

Being “pre-menopausal” means your estrogen is in the tank. You can be pre-menopausal at any age if estrogen is low enough, and the only thing that should scare you about it is the fact your doctors are not taught how to fix it. They are only taught how to manage the symptoms of it. When estrogen gets too low, it sends a signal to your brain that your reproductive days are over and it’s time to make way for a new generation. You'll have a difficult time getting pregnant with low estrogen. It’s the level of estrogen that dictates whether you’ll get pregnant or not, and it’s your progesterone that will decide if you’ll carry the baby to term.

Your ob-gyn or endocrinologist has no formal training in hormone optimization. They're not taught to address the root cause of the problem but are considered to be “specialists” in hormones. This is not the case. They don’t teach hormone restoration in med school and doctors are not forthcoming with their lack of knowledge in this area. Women think they’re going to these “specialists” but they too are trained to treat symptoms with pills or surgery instead of addressing the root cause.

In your previous posts, you indicated a lot of period issues. These issues, such as PCOS and debilitating periods are due to estrogen deficiency. Your period issues and ability to get pregnant stems from the fact your body isn’t producing enough estrogen. You need a doctor to optimize your estrogen and progesterone to levels that mimic a healthy woman in a state of reproduction. You can do this for the rest of your life and avoid perimenopause and menopause altogether. The goal is to keep estrogen at healthy levels so a woman is always in a state of reproduction. Estrogen is life. Without it a woman’s body will attempt to make way for the next generation and deteriorate because her job of reproducing is over, and it’s estrogen levels that dictate this.

Restoring estrogen to healthy levels gives women life. There is no function in the female body that estrogen doesn't effect. Every function in a woman's body is effected by estrogen. If your estrogen is too low, you will have a slew of problems, if estrogen is optimal, your body will anticipate pregnancy and prepare for it by optimizing body functions and susceptibility to get pregnant

Conventional doctors are afraid of estrogen because they’ve been lied to that it causes cancer. The fact it, you’re at greater risk for cancer and other "old lady" issues when your estrogen is too low. Estrogen protects the body against the degenerative diseases of aging, including menopause, heart disease, osteoporosis, etc. This is not “main stream” medicine and any doctor without education in the area of Bioidentical Cyclic Hormone Restoration, will debunk this because they’re ignorant of knowledge or clinical findings. Stop wasting your time with these conventional doctors who’ve been trained to treat the symptoms of the disease instead of treating the root cause. Find a doctor who has formal education in restoring your hormones to healthy levels in a cyclic rhythm that matches your own body.

Feel free to listen in to my radio show Menopause Talk Radio and hear what I’m saying to understand it better. You’re on the exercise wheel of conventional medicine. Until you take your healthcare in your own hands and find a doctor who practices a 4th generation hormone replacement regime like the Panacea Protocol: Bioidentical Cyclic Hormone Restoration, you will always have menstrual problems and spend the rest of your life chasing your tail.

Good luck. Menopause Moxie.

 

[KL50]

oh yeah! That is huge! Originally the doctor said she can MAKE me have a cycle. But does that mean I am ovulating every time... can't you have one without the other in some cases? period no ovulation but can't have a ovulation and no period? Sigh, I feel like I need a refresher course in biology!

I can tell you that it is possible to ovulate without a period. I didn't see AF for at least 6 months. I went to the doctor and he said to give it two weeks and come back. If I hadn't seen AF, he would set up a meeting with her. I ended up going back 6 weeks later to find out I was 6 weeks pregnant (with my first). Now, this was 10 years ago, but it is still possible.

That is what I thought originally (that I was pregnant). It is crazy sometimes how our bodies operate!